Our research policy

How the brain works, in order to understand more clearly what has gone wrong in someone with dementia.

Development of effective and accurate means of diagnosing the condition as early as possible

Finding new treatments and assessing their effectiveness in clinical trials

Investigating the potential link between certain genes in our DNA (the information we carry in each cell in our body) and the chances of developing dementia.

We do not seek to set the direction of research. Applicants for grants are expected to make a case for their chosen direction and this will be assessed through the peer review process.

Our work benefits the entire human race but, for practical purposes, we restrict grants to universities in South West England and South Wales. As well as concentrating our limited resources, this has enabled us to help build a formidable research network in the region and to connect supporters more directly with the researchers they help to fund.

BRACE generally funds pilot projects, PhD research studentships and project grants of no more than 2-3 years. In addition to exploring a specific line of research under the supervision of an expert in the field, studentships help to develop the next generation of dementia researchers. We also provide some core costs for the South West Dementia Brain Bank and the ReMemBr Group.

BRACE will fund both laboratory-based and clinical research, the latter including psychology and brain imaging.

BRACE does not fund career scientists or salaries except where they are a necessary and therefore short term cost within the budgets of research as described under paragraph 3 above.

BRACE is a member of the Association of Medical Research Charities. As such, it supports the endeavours of the AMRC to achieve and maintain ethical and transparent practices in medical research, including its statement on animal testing.